Susan Walley, M.D., Pediatric Hospital Medicine, spoke as part of an expert panel at a congressional staff briefing as the American Academy of Pediatrics representative and medical expert for the Congressional Caucus to End the Youth Vaping Epidemic. This was an informational session to provide updated statistics and information on the youth vaping epidemic and changes to the FDA policy guidelines for e-cigarettes.
"Pediatricians are on the front lines of counseling youth and young adults about the harms posed by tobacco products," Dr. Walley remarked during the panel. "The latest data from the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey show that e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth and 27.5% of high school students are current e-cigarette users. As pediatricians, we are seeing all too frequently how nicotine addiction takes hold in adolescent patients who use e-cigarettes."
After the staff briefing, the House voted to pass the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act. When asked about the House's passage of the legislation, Dr. Walley said, "the body of evidence is clear: flavors in tobacco products attract young users. The Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act passed by the House will help prevent youth from starting tobacco use and pediatricians continue to have a vital role to prevent youth tobacco use and assist nicotine-addicted youth in quitting."
The Congressional Caucus to End the Youth Vaping Epidemic will now work to get the legislation introduced in the Senate.
Drs. Tamera Coyne-Beasley and Nefertiti Durant and Patricia Bowman BillupsThe William A. Daniel, Jr. Adolescent Health Center received a generous donation from the Birmingham Chapter of Jack and Jill of America to our literacy corner. Patricia Bowman Billups, chair, Birmingham-Jack and Jill Associate Jewels presented the books to the AHC. One of the missions at the Adolescent Health Center is to promote literacy among young people and these donated books will assist the center is fulfilling this mission.
Eunice Dixon, M.D., Pediatric Chief Resident, represented the Department of Pediatrics Residency Programs at the Howard University College of Medicine Residency Fair in Washington, DC on Feb. 29. The event provides participating residency programs the opportunity to share information about their programs with Howard University medical students and medical students from surrounding states. The students have the opportunity to network and learn about program and research information. Dr. Dixon was able to share the benefits of the UAB Pediatric Residency with prospective applicants and grow the reach of UAB Pediatrics.
Other UAB residency programs had representatives in attendance including obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, pathology, and general surgery.
Dr. Tamera Coyne-Beasley with members of the "Porgy and Bess" cast.The UAB School of Medicine sponsored a private showing of the newly adapted production of "Porgy and Bess" at the Red Mountain Theater on Tuesday, Feb. 18 for School of Medicine faculty and staff. The play, adapted for the stage by George Gershwin, focuses on the underserved residents of a tenement in Charleston, SC. It addresses real-life issues such as addiction and violence. Following the performance, a reception was held for the School of Medicine attendees and a panel discussion, "Community Conversations," was moderated by Keith Cromwell, executive director of the Red Mountain Theater.
Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D., Adolescent Medicine, was a participant on the panel along with Tony Jones, M.D., senior associate dean for Clinical Affairs and the entire "Porgy and Bess" cast. The panel covered topics such as addiction, trust among marginalized communities and health care professionals, and other varying themes portrayed within the play as it relates to today’s society.
Dean Vickers spoke of the panel discussion in his Dean's Message on Black History Month and our diverse community.
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John Bridges, M.D., First Year Fellow-Rheumatology, has been awarded a partial travel award to attend the VERITY (Value and Evidence in Rheumatology using bioInformaTics, and advanced analYtics) research course in Boston this May. The travel award recipients are selected by the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA). The partial travel awards are funded by the Arthritis Foundation. The VERITY/Brigham Course in Rheumatology Clinical Research is aimed at early career clinical investigators who are interested in rheumatic disease epidemiologic and patient-oriented research. During the course, attendees will receive training in developing research protocols and aims for grant proposals.
Congratulations Dr. Bridges!
Dr. Shannon Ross (R) with other Superbug Ambassadors on Capitol Hill.For the fourth year, Shannon Ross, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases, served as an ambassador for The Pew Charitable Trusts' Stand Up To Superbugs initiative. Dr. Ross joined more than 40 other 2020 Stand Up To Superbugs Ambassadors in Washington, DC Feb. 25-27 to meet with the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, leaders from CDC, FDA, and other key agencies and members of Congress and their staffs to urge action to fight the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant infections. This year's ambassadors include people from several different fields including health care, public health, research, farming, veterinary medicine and patients and patient families impacted by superbugs. During their trip to Washington, the ambassadors meet with the representatives from their states to share their expertise and experience to advocate for funding and support to preserve the effectiveness of existing antibiotics and to develop new antibiotics.
Ed Colvin, M.D., Pediatric Cardiology, has been appointed as Professor Emeritus in the School of Medicine. The appointment, approved by the Board of Trustees, is made in recognition of his outstanding service and years of dedication to the Department of Pediatrics, Heersink School of Medicine, and Children's of Alabama.
Dr. Colvin joined the Division of Pediatric Cardiology in 1983, serving as division director from 1990 to 2012. During his tenure as division director, he built a strong team of cardiologists spanning the full range of pediatric cardiology subspecialties. A true testament to his superb leadership, no cardiology faculty member has left the division since 1992. Dr. Colvin also played an instrumental part in the rebirth of UAB as a comprehensive state of the art pediatric and congenital cardiovascular program.
Always a forward thinking physician, in 1991 he developed, with the assistance of a computer programmer, an electronic repository that is still used by the division today. This repository is an integral part in the efficiency and organization of the division. He is an exemplary clinician, loved by his patients, and a kind and patient teacher.
Congratulations Dr. Colvin!
Samantha Hill, M.D., MPH, Adolescent Medicine, was awarded grant funding from the UAB Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Developmental Core: CFAR Ending HIV in Alabama Scientific Working Group for her pilot study “Evaluating Parental Support as a Strategy to Increase PrEP Adherence among Adolescents and Young Adults.” Dr. Hill's project seeks to understand the perspectives of adolescents and young adults regarding the use of parents and caregivers to assist with adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This project is a follow up to her Dixon Fellowship research project that sought to understand parent and caregiver perspectives about adolescents and young adults using PrEP.
Congratulations Dr. Hill!
Fred Goldman, M.D., and Hilary Haines, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, have been awarded a seed grant from the Sickle Cell Foundation of Birmingham to fund their project titled, “Barriers to Transplant in Sickle Cell Disease: A Survey of Patients and Families at Children’s of Alabama.” The grant will provide seed money to assist them in studying the barriers that contribute to why sickle cell patients at Children's of Alabama are not getting bone marrow transplants at the same rate as the rest of the country.
Congratulations Drs. Goldman and Haines!
Effective immediately, the Endocrine Division has been renamed to the UAB Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes. The change will also encompass the endocrine clinical service and training program. The name change was initiated by Ambika Ashraf M.D., division director for pediatric endocrinology and diabetes. Dr. Ashraf noted, in 1935, the subspecialty started as ‘pediatric endocrinology’ by Lawson Wilkins at the Harriet Lane Home, at Johns Hopkins Hospital. ‘Diabetes’ evolved in parallel as a clinical pediatric discipline from the clinics of Elliott Joslin and Priscilla White in Boston.
In 1980, both branches joined together to become pediatric endocrinology and diabetes. Since our division also encompasses both aspects, it is only appropriate to rename the division. Efforts to change references to the division online and in printed material has already begun and we ask that you do the same where appropriate.
- Dr. Coghill named Waldemar A. Carlo, M.D., Endowed Professor in Clinical Neonatology
- Department of Pediatrics wins second place at School of Medicine Diversity Fair Table Competition
- Dr. Freeman receives SSPR Young Investigator Award-Basic Science
- Dr. Oates co-author of book chapter to help families with the management of cystic fibrosis